Condenser for locomotives.



J. M. MOOLBLLON- CONDENSER FOR LOGOMOTIVES.

APPLIUATION FILED 313.14, 190s. Patented Apr. 21 1914.

3 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

mHIIA WM (0-, WASHINGTON, D. C.

J. M. MOG LELLON. GUNDENSER FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Y *APPLIOATION IILED PEB.14, 1908. 1,093,942.. Patented Apr. 21, 19%

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTON. D C.

J. M. MoGLELLON.

OONDENSER FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB.14, 1908.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

3 SHEET8SHEET 3.

WI 1! M ill COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN 420-, WASHINGTON, D. C.

JAMES M. IVIGCLELLON, OFEVERET'I', MASSACHUSETTS.

CONDENSER. FOB, LOCOMOTIVES.

Specification of Letters Patent. I AppIicationfiled February 14, 1908.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914:. Serial No. 415,826.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES M. MoCLnLLoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Everett, county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Condensers for Locomotives, of which thefollowing description, in connec tion with the accompanying drawing, isa specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a novel condenserwhich is especially designed for use in connection with locomotiveboilers. The condenser is of that type which is situated at the frontend of the locomotive in such position thatas the locomotive istraveling air currents will be forced over the condensing surfacesthereby to condense the steam therein.

My improvement relates to a novel construction of condenser whereby theair currents which pass through the condenser are utilized to the bestadvantage in cooling the condensing surfaces, and whereby the air whichpasses through the condenser and becomes heated can be delivered tothe-fire box for promoting combustion. My improved condenser is also soarranged that any steam which is not condensed therein can freely escapeto the atmosphere.

The advantage of this construction is that there is 110- back pressureon the cylinders other than atmospheric pressure and the full pressureof the steam thereon is employed in doing useful work.

In the drawings I have shown some embodiments of my invention withouthowever attempting to illustrate all ways in which the invention may bemade.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the front end of the locomotiveboiler having my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlargedsection on the line x-.r, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on theline y-y, Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section through the smoke stack on theline a-a, Fig. 1; Fig. 5 shows a different form of smoke stack from thatshown in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 illustrates a still different form ofsmokestack; Fig. 7 is a detail showing the manner of securing the cap onthe smoke stack.

My invention can be used with any of the familiar types of locomotiveboilers and I from the steam condenser vlde said have in the drawingsshown only a sufiicient portion of the locomotive to enable theinvention to be properly understood.

3 is the front portion of the shell of an ordinary tubular locomotiveboiler, and 4 the fines which lead from the fire-box through saidshelland into the usual smoke chamber 5', said fines being secured to theflue-sheet 6.

7 are the steam pipes which lead the steam dome to the engine cylinders8. 'These parts are such as are commonly found in locomotive boilers andform no part of my present invention.

According to my invention I arrange a in front of the shell 3 andprocondenser with condensing surfaces in the form of pipes or tubesthrough which the exhaust steam passes, and I also arrange saidcondenser so that as the locomotive is in motion currents of air areforced over said condensing surfaces thereby cooling them and condensingthe steam.

In thepreferable embodiment of my invention the condenser is cylindricalin cross sectional shape and has a diameter substantially equal tothat-0f the shell, so that the application of my condenser to alocomotive does not increase but merely increases its length.

In the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated the condenser isconfined within a shell 9 which extends forwardly from the smokechamber5. -Said shell 9 is divided from the smokechamber by a partition orsheet 10. Situated within the condenser are two separate steam chambers13 and 130 with whichcommunicate the headers 17 19, 18 and 20, theheaders eating with the upper. steam chamber 13 and the headers 18, 20communicating with the lowersteamfchamber 130. The steam chamber 13communicates through a connection 14 with the exhaust passage 12 intowhich the steam is exhausted from the engine cylinders. The pairofheaders 17 and 18 are connected all along their length by two sets ofpipes 15 and the pair of headers 19 and 20 are similarly connected bytwo sets of. pipes 16, said pipes 15, 16 forming the con densingsurfaces.

The headers 17, 18, 19, 20 are preferably inclined somewhat, the headersof each pair its height or its width 17 and 19 comn1unibeing nearertogether at their rear ends than at their front ends. The pipes 15, 16are arranged along the full length of the head ers. Associated with thepipes are deflectors which are arranged to deflect the currents of airagainst the pipes and which close up any passageways between the pipesthrough which the air might pass without coming in contact with saidpipes. One of these de flectors is shown at 21, and it is circular incross sectional shape and is secured at its front end to the outer sidesof the headers 19, 20, and at its rear end to the inner sides of theheaders 17, 18. Another deflector 22 is situated between the headers 19and 20 at their rear end, said deflector being substantially conical inshape. The deflector 21 encircles all the pipes 16 and the headers 19and 20, but is situated within all the pipes 15, while the deflector 22is situated entirely within the pipes 16.

The front ends of the headers 17, 18 are situated losely adjacent to theshell 9 and the pipes 15 at the front ends of the headers are alsoclosely adjacent to said shell. Vith such a construction there is anannular passageway 26 formed between the shell 9 and the deflector 21,in which passageway all the pipes 15 are arranged, and another annularpassageway 27 formed between the two deflectors 21 and 22, in whichlatter passageway all the pipes 16 are arranged. Fur thermore, the pipes15 and 16 are arranged in rows extending diagonally across thepassageways so that no currents of air can pass through eitherpassageway without impinging on the pipes therein.

The casing 9 is formed with a discharge opening 23 in its lower sidewhich leads into a chamber 2 1 that communicates with a dischargeconduit 25 which may if desired extend back to the fire-box of thelocomotive. The steam which is exhausted from the locomotive passes fromthe exhaust passage 12 into the connection. lat and thence into thesteam chamber 13 and into the headers 17 and 19 from which. itcirculates through the pipes 15 and 16 into the headers 18 and 20 andinto the steam space 130.

When the locomotive is in motion, currents of air will be forced throughthe passageways 26- and 27 and discharged through the outlet 23 and inits movement through said annular passageways it contacts with thecondensing pipes 15, 16 and thus condenses the steam therein. Any waterof condensation accumulating in the headers 17 19 will be dischargedthrough the pipes 15, 16 into the lower headers 20 and 18. Any water ofcondensation accumulating in the header 20 will be discharged through aconnection 28 into the lower header 18, and

the water accumulating in said lower header 18 will be dischargedthrough a pipe 29 which connects with said header and which willpreferably lead back to the boiler or to a reservoir from which it isdelivered to the boiler in usual manner, so that the water may be usedover again. Any water of condensation accumulating in the space 130 willbe led back to the boiler through a pipe 60.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention the condenser is open to theatmosphere so that any steam which is not condensed in the condenser mayfreely escape. By means of this construction the back pressure on thepistons will never exceed atmospheric pressure and the full pressuredeveloped in the boiler will be expended in doing useful work.

In the embodiment of the invention herein shown the steam space 130 hasconi1nunieating therewith one or more pipes 37 which lead into acontinuously-open. exhaust duct 32 through which any steam which is notcondensed may freely escape into the smoke chamber.

I have shown a fan 30 in the discharge conduit 25 which may be used forregulating the air currents over the condensing pipes. If the engine isat rest, or if it is moving so slowly that the speed of the engine willnot produce sufficient air currents for condensing the steam, the fanmay he set in operation to assist in producing the necessary aircurrents over the condensing pipes. Similarly, if the engine is movingrapidly, the fan may be used to retard the flow of the air through theconduit 25 and thus regulate the amount of condensation. It will beunderstood that the conduit 25 may discharge the air delivered theretoat any point. If, however, the conduit leads back to the ash pan of thelocomotive, the fan 30 may be useful in forcing air into the fire-box.This fan may be operated in any suitable way as by means of a steamturbine 31 which is under the control of the engineer in the cab. I havealso provided a construction wherein the steam may be exhausted directlyinto the smoke chamber through the nozzle 32 as is commonly done inlocomotives, if for any reason it is not desired to use the condenser.To accomplish this, I have provided the valve 33 which controlscommunication between the exhaust passage 12 and either the connection14k or the nozzle 32, said valve in one position closing communicationbetween said exhaust passage 12 and the nozzle 32, as shown in Fig. 1,and directing the steam into the steam chamber 13, and in anotherposition closing communication between the exhaust passage 12 and thesteam chamber 13 and directing steam into the exhaust nozzle 32. Thevalve 33 is shown as attached to a rock shaft 41 which extends outthrough the side of the locomotive and which may be operated from thecab by any suitable connection (not shown).

It is desirable that there should be a certain amount of suction createdin the smoke chamber 5 because otherwise the pressure of the airdelivered into the closed ash-pan of the fire-box through the conduit 25will produce sufficient pressure in the combustion chamber so that whenthe doors are open for stoking the fire or shoveling in coal the hotgases will escape through the door. Ac-. cordingly I have provided adevice which is designed to maintain in the smoke chamber suflicientsuction to provide the necessary draft through the fiues 4. To preventan excess of pressure in the combustion chamber I have herein shown twodevices for this purpose either or both of which may be used.

In Fig. 1 the smoke stack is designed in such a way that as thelocomotive is traveling rapidly the currents of air passing through thesmoke stack will produce the necessary suction in the smoke chamber.This necessary suction may also be produced by mechanical means such asa fan.

Referring first to the smoke stack feature, the arrangement shown inFig. 1 comprises a main stack 40 which communicates with the smokechamber and which is provided with an outlet opening 42 in its side.This smoke stack is surrounded by a hood 43 which is of a generalcylindrical shape open at its ends. The smoke stack 40 is alsopreferably provided with the cone-shaped projection 44 which extendsinto the front end of the hood 43. The hood is larger than the smokestack so that there is a passageway 45 provided at each side of thesmoke stack. With such a construction it will be seen that as thelocomotive is moving rapidly the air which passes through the hood andthrough the passages 45 will create more or less suction at the outlet42 of the smoke stack, the amount of suction depending upon the speed atwhich the locomotive is moving. This suction at the outlet 42willproduce the necessary suction in the smoke chamber to establish agood draft through the fines.

The upper end of the smoke stack is normally covered by a cap 46 whichmay be removed if it is desired to exhaust the steam directly into thenozzle 32 in the usual way instead of exhausting the steam into thecondenser. This cap 46 is secured to the smoke stack by means of abayonet joint 47, shown best in Fig. 7

In Fig. 5 I have shown a different form of the device wherein the smokestack 400 leads into a hood or suction-producing device 430. The smokestack 400 is bent rearwardly slightly at its upper end and the suctiondevice 430 has the horizontally-arranged inlet end 49 and theupwardly-directed exhaust end 50. The hood is larger than the smokestack so that the air which enters the front end thereof can freely passaround said smoke stack and in passing through the suction device therequisite suction is produced in the smoke chamber. In this form of theinvention the smoke stack is continuously open.

In Fig. 6 a different form of the device is illustrated wherein thesmoke stack 401 is bent rearwardly at its upper end and leads into asuction-producing device or nozzle 51 which is larger than the smokestack, said nozzle 51 having the flaring inlet end 52. The smoke stack401 also carries a suctionproducing device 53 which is in the form of anozzle having a flaring opening and in which is situated a cone-shapedmember 54 arranged to present an annular passageway through the member53. In this construction also the smoke stack is constantly open and themotion of the locomotive will produce the required suction in the smokechamber. In addition to these features I may provide a mechanical means,such as a fan 34, for producing the necessary suction in the smokechamber. This fan is shown as arranged within a housing 81 and isdesigned to force air through said housing into the passageway 35 andthence into the exhaust nozzle 32. Said fan may be operated in anysuitable way and is herein shown as being geared to the turbine 31 bymeans of gearing 36. \Vhen rotated rapidly this fan will forcesufficient air through the nozzle 32 to provide the necessary suction inthe smoke chamber.

In Fig. 1 the casing 81 is shown as being closed by a cap 82. When it isdesired to force air through the casing by the fan, said cap is removedby sliding it to the left 011 the shaft 88 of the fan. For this purposethe cap will preferably have connected thereto suitable mechanism bywhich it may be oper ated from the cab. hen the cap is in place, the fanwill be operated to force air through the passageway 35, as will beobvious.

The device as shown in Fig. 1 is so arranged that the condenser may bemade use of or the steam may be exhausted directly into the smokechamber in the usual way as desired.

Where the necessary draft through the fire-box is secured in the usualway by ex hausting the steam directly into the smoke chamber the suctionproduced is often suiii cient to draw through the fines small particlesof coke and unburned coal which either accumulate in the smoke chamberor are exhausted through the smoke stack and are thus wasted. Many ofthese small particles are exhausted while still red hot and are liableto cause fires along the line of the railway. One advantage of myconstruction is that a sufficient draft can be produced without anydanger of sucking such particles of hot coke and coal through the finesand thus all the waste and danger occasioned by the throwing outofsparks by the locomotive is avoided.

Other advantages of the device herein shown are that the air which isused in combustion is heated and thus a saving is effected; the Waterwhich results from the condensation of the steam is delivered to theboiler in a heated condition and thus still further saving is effected;since the water is used over and over again the accumulation of scale inthe boiler is materially decreased because the condensed water isdelivered to to the boiler in a comparatively pure state; and all backpressure above atmospheric pressure is removed from the pistons becauseof the fact that the steam is exhausted directly into the condenserunder no pressure.

I do not herein claim the manner of securing a suction in the smokechamber without the aid of the exhaust steam.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination with a locomotive boiler,of an open-ended casing extending forwardly beyond the smoke chamber,condensing pipes within said casing, means to admit the exhaust steaminto said pipes and means within the casing to deflect air currentsacross said pipes.-

2. The combination with a locomotive boiler, of acondenser situated infront thereof, said condenser comprising a plurality of pipes throughwhich the steam is exhausted, and deflectors within the casing todeflect air currents against said pipes.

8. The combination with a locomotive boiler, of a condenser comprisingan openended casing extending forwardly from said boiler,concentrically-arranged condensing pipes within said casing, means toadmit the exhaust steam to said pipes, and deflectors to deflect aircurrents across said pipes.

a. The combination with alocomotive boiler, of an open-ended casingextending forwardly therefrom, a plurality of sets ofconcentrically-arranged condensing pipes within said casing, means toadmit the ex haust steam to said pipes, and means to defleet aircurrents across said pipes.

5. The combination with a locomotive boiler, of an open-ended casingextending forwardly therefrom, two upper headers and two lower headersextending longitudinally of the casing, pipes connecting said upper andlower headers, and means to admit the exhaust steam to said pipes.

6. The combination with a locomotive boiler, of an open-ended circularcasing extending forwardly from the boiler, annular deflectors withinsaid casing forming annular passageways, and condensing pipes locatedwithin said passageways.

'7. The combination with a locomotive boiler, of an open-ended casingextending forwardly therefrom, annular deflectors within the casingforming annular passageways therein, a pair of headers in eachpassageway, and condensing pipes connecting the headers of each pair.

8. The combination with a locomotive boiler, of an open-ended casingextending forwardly therefrom, annular deflectors within the casingforming annular passageways therein, a pair of headers in eachpassageway, condensing pipes connecting the headers of each pair, and areturn pipe communicating with the lower headers of each pair forreturning the water of condensation to the boiler.

9. The combination with a locomotive boiler, of an open-ended casingextending forwardly therefrom, two steam chambers within said ca sing,one of which is connected to the exhaust passage leading from thecylinders, a pair of headers communicating with each steam chamber, andcondensing pipes connecting each header of one pair to a header of theother pair.

10. The combination with a locomotive boiler having a smoke chamber andan exhaust nozzle, of an open-ended casing extending forwardly from thesmoke chamber, two steam chambers within said casing, condenser pipesconnecting said chambers, means to deliver the exhaust steam to onechamber, a pipe connecting the other chamber with the exhaust nozzle,and means to collect and return to the boiler the water of condensation.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J. M. MOCLELLON. lVitnesses MARGARET A. DUNN, LOUIS C. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five. cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, .D. G.

